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Re: Neonicotinoid pesticides 'damage brains of bees'

That's why I grow most of my own food and stay away from processed items. If we want it we make it (haven't grown my own wheat yet but it's coming). Not that I think using the stuff is necessarily wrong--just don't like being the free guinea pig to fuel the case-control studies 20 yrs from now.

Fake salt, fake sugar, fake butter, fake meat. It all ends up being worse than the original precisely because we've been fine tuned to the originals (but not tuned to a life of TV, driving, social media, and diet pills). Sounds like I'm making my own case to have treatment-free bees even as I consider MAQS this year!

Re: Neonicotinoid pesticides 'damage brains of bees'

Originally Posted by Michael Bush

How long before it is observed in humans...?

"Neonics" irreversibly bind to receptors. Normally, the binding is reversible and receptor may be reused. In case of "Neonics" it is not happening and receptors gradually depleted - accumulation effect. It could "accumulate" for decades until any manifestation. I would imagine that "manifestation" would be similar to Alzheimer, dementia. Since "Neonics" are in use for a decade already, it is quite possible that "result" is there, in our brains with little bit less ability to memorize, think, made logical connections... Unfortunately, it is extremely difficult to prove such correlation. Thus, there would be plenty of people, who would deny any effects of "neonics" on them. My personal theory is that it would first affect people in the areas, where "neonics" are widely used (corn belt?). The symptoms may include mental inflexibility, inability to process new information, decline of communicative skills, decline in logical thinking and so on. The problem with this is that such changes would be irreversible, thus, no treatment possible. Also - it is accumulative, negligible amount over long period of time could potentially do a substantial irreversible damage. Note: it is my own interpretation of the available to me scientific data, it is not a fact - do your own research and made your own conclusions! Also - of coarse - nothing personal.

Re: Neonicotinoid pesticides 'damage brains of bees'

Re: Neonicotinoid pesticides 'damage brains of bees'

Originally Posted by Oldtimer

Which receptors, and what do these receptors do?

nAChRs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicotin...oline_receptor
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, or nAChRs, are cholinergic receptors that form ligand-gated ion channels in the plasma membranes of certain neurons and on the postsynaptic side of the neuromuscular junction. As ionotropic receptors, nAChRs are directly linked to ion channels and do not use second messengers (as metabotropic receptors do). Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors are the best-studied of the ionotropic receptors...

Re: Neonicotinoid pesticides 'damage brains of bees'

Re: Neonicotinoid pesticides 'damage brains of bees'

Originally Posted by cerezha

My personal theory is that it would first affect people in the areas, where "neonics" are widely used (corn belt?). The symptoms may include mental inflexibility, inability to process new information, decline of communicative skills, decline in logical thinking and so on.

I hate to be the one to break the news, but cerezha is correct, in my circles we call the above individuals conservative republicans. so it must be happening already?
sorry just couldn't resist as I am one.

mike syracuse ny
I went to bed mean, and woke up meaner. Marshal Dillon